[Avodah] question on the Mei Shiloach

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, May 13, 2012 at 05:20:44AM +0300, Ben Waxman wrote:
> In parshat Behar, the Mei Shiloach writes that we learn from Shabbat  
> (the small oat (sign)) that God is the "poel" of everything and that  
> nothing will come of the actions of people. Shmitta (the large oat)  
> teaches us there is no power besides God.

AIUI, in Izhbitzer thought (the Mei Shiloach, the Beis Yaaqov, the Orchos
Chaim and R' Tzadoq -- I don't know about the Radzyner branch), "hakol
biydei Shamayim chutz miyir'as Shamayim" is taken far more literally
and inclusively than most of us would understand it.

Leshitasam, every event that occurs is min haShamayim. Bechirah chafshi
is only in how the person chooses to view his actions -- whether he does
them in an attempt to violate Retzon haBorei or not. The fact that the
intent succeeded is taken as proof that it was part of the Divine Plan.

As I wrote in <http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol06/v06n109.shtml#13>
(11-Jan-2001):

    Prof Yeshaiahu Leibowitz [bases] his understanding of "hakol tzafui
    viharshus nesunah" on determinism. But he holds that others were
    choleik with R' Akiva[, and reject this determinism]. IOW, this is
    a very old machlokes.

    What about R' Chasdai Crescas, who supports determinism in Or Hashem
    3:2:2 ch 1,2? (OH is basically a polemic against using Aristotle
    for hashkafah in general, and against the Moreh in particular.) He
    considers even teshuvah to be min haShamayim. Joy or regret
    while making the choice is the only "softness" the OH gives his
    determinism. He makes a point of quoting R' Akiva as a ra'ayah.

    R' Mordechai Yosef of Izhbitz's shitah in Mei haShilo'ach (1:4b,
    1:14a). He even writes "hakol biydei Shamayim AFILU yir'as Shamayim"!
    The MhS believes in a softer determinism -- that actions are
    deterministic, but decisions are not. Sechar va'onesh and teshuvah
    are moved from being about deed to about machshavah.

    It would seem, therefore, that will without freedom can be supported
    via reason and Torah.

Even if to most of us, it's unthinkable.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 37th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        5 weeks and 2 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Gevurah sheb'Yesod: When does reliability
Fax: (270) 514-1507               require one to be strict with another?